Dermatology Consultants Post

Stop Summer Eczema Flare-Ups

The Lynchburg summers are a welcome, warm time for outdoor adventures and poolside play. But if you’re one of the 30 million Americans suffering from eczema, the warm weather of summer may also bring days of severe itching, burning, and blistering skin. If you have eczema, don’t spend your summer suffering; your local Lynchburg cosmetic dermatologist can help ease the discomfort of this common skin condition.

How Do You Know If You Have Eczema?

Unexplained rashes are not uncommon for adults or children. So how do you know if your rash is eczema or something else? Eczema is actually a reaction that your skin has to a number of genetic autoimmune diseases. There are many types of eczema. The most common type is called atopic dermatitis. This form of eczema is usually discovered in children less than five years old, and continues through the patients’ childhood and sometimes into adulthood. Still, it is also possible to develop eczema as an adult.

“Atopic” means that this is a disorder associated with the immune system (like hay fever or asthma) and “dermatitis” means that your skin is inflamed. Atopic dermatitis is genetic, meaning that there is a greater chance that you will have it if your parents also suffered from the condition or any autoimmune disease.

Almost all types of eczema involve itchy skin on any part of the body. Although symptoms could look different on different people, here are some things you might see if you have eczema:

Raised red bumps in a variety of patterns with fluid-filled blisters on top

Rough, leathery, or scaly patches of skin

Bumpy rashes like goosebumps

Rashes that lighten or darken in color

Rashes that create dry, sensitive skin

The experts at Dermatology Consultants can examine your rash and symptoms to diagnose the type of eczema you have so that they can implement the best treatment possible.

Why Is Eczema Worse in The Heat?

Your cosmetic dermatologists in Lynchburg, VA point to a number of reasons for why summer months are worse for people suffering with eczema. They include:

Heat increases your body temperature and causes your body to dilate its blood vessels in the skin as a cooling mechanism, attracting inflammatory cells to the skin's surface more quickly. Heat also makes you itch, which can worsen your eczema.

Sweat from your body can gather in the creases of your elbows and knees, keeping the rash moist and irritating it more.

Air conditioning can dry out the air.

Eczema can be triggered by allergies, which happen in the spring and summer months when ragweed and pollen are in bloom.

Chlorine in pools can dry out the skin, irritating the eczema.

If you have eczema, you may be super sensitive to the sun and being out in the sun may cause a flare up of your symptoms.

Moisturizing lotions and even sunscreen can irritate sensitive skin.

How Can You Soothe Your Summer Eczema?

There are a number of things you can do to help ease the itching of eczema during the summer months, including:

Keep cool. Turn your home air setting to around 67 degrees Fahrenheit.

Stay in the shade. Try to stay out of the direct sun, especially during the hottest parts of the day, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Shower cool. Take cool, short showers. Hot and long showers can dry out your skin.

Drink water. Increase your water intake to keep your body hydrated.

Rinse often. After swimming in a pool, rinse off the chlorine with cool water. If you’re sweating, be sure to use towels to dry your sweat, especially in the creases of your body.

When these home remedies are not enough, you can count on your Lynchburg, VA cosmetic dermatologist to accurately diagnose your eczema and prescribe appropriate prescription medicines to help. Treatments by the doctors at Dermatology Consultants may include: ointments, antibiotics, antihistamines, or prescription-strength moisturizers. There are also drugs available that work on your immune system. Your Lynchburg dermatologist may also suggest ultraviolet light therapy for severe eczema.

Call Dermatology Consultants for Additional Treatment Options

If you’re concerned about a persistent skin rash, contact Dermatology Consultants at (434) 847-6132 and make an appointment at their convenient Lynchburg, VA office location. Our cosmetic dermatology experts are ready to answer your questions about eczema or any other skin condition your might encounter, and can get your started on the path to itch-free, clear skin. Call today!